Stray Spaniel Belle tied up with a rope
Cocker Spaniel Belle came to Woodgreen in a sorry state. The three-year-old stray was discovered tied up with a rope and was taken straight to the vets.
Poor Belle’s skin was red and inflamed from severe mange and pyoderma, a secondary infection caused by the mites. She barely had any fur on her little legs. And to make matters worse, Belle was going through a false pregnancy, which is common in entire female dogs that have had past litters. Although we don’t know anything about Belle’s background, we believe she was most likely a breeding spaniel and had puppies at some stage in her short life. Sadly, we’ve recently seen an increase in stray female dogs used for breeding. Despite her awful start, Belle had a loving and affectionate nature. Her tail didn’t stop wagging, even though she must have been in much pain from her sore skin.
We jumped into action to get Belle back on her paws so we could find her a wonderful new home. Following a vet check, Belle had regular medicated baths to soothe her skin, treatment to kill and prevent the mites, and antibiotics to deal with the infection. At first, she had to stay in isolation so she didn’t pass the mange on to our other canine residents. Once she’d finished her phantom pregnancy we spayed her, which should prevent this from happening again.
Fortunately, the treatment got to work quickly and soon Belle was free to go out and about for walks – which she loved! This sociable little soul easily made friends, so our Dog team took her on group walks with other dogs around Woodgreen. And despite her previous experiences, this special girl craved attention from her carers and never once lost her trust in humans.
Belle finds her forever home
As the days and weeks passed, Belle’s skin healed and her hair started to grow back. She looked a world away from the stray who first came through our doors! We’re delighted to say Belle has now found her special someone and is enjoying a fresh start in her new home.
We can't help pets like Belle without supporters like you
Sadly, we're seeing nearly 50% more strays as the cost of living crisis continues. Can you give more pets like Belle the care they so desperately need?
Give dogs like Belle a loving home by adopting a dog or fostering a dog today.